Morgan Tilton

Adventure Journalist

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Accolades

 

WRITING AWARDS

  • Honorable Mention for the Academy of American Poets’ 2012 Edward M. Lanna Poetry Prize
  • Gunpowder & Tobacco, EnCompass Magazine, March 2015. Bronze prize: North American Travel Journalists Association – Print Historical Travel category
  • Safety Circuit in the Desert, EnCompass Magazine, September 2015. Finalist: North American Travel Journalists Association – Intergenerational & Family Travel category
  • Higher Still: Record Tourism Brings Rewards—and Angst, Colorado Business Magazine, September 2015. Finalist: North American Travel Journalists Association – Trade Travel category
  • Step inside the kiva of La Junta’s Koshare Dancers, Colorado Life Magazine, November/December 2015. Finalist: North American Travel Journalists Association – Print Historical Travel category
  • Multi-Award-Winning: Wild & Broken: A First SUP Descent of Utah’s Escalante River, SUP Magazine, December 2016. Silver: North American Travel Journalists Association – Print Historical Travel category. Finalist: North American Travel Journalists Association – Print Eco, Environmental or Special Purpose Travel category
  • Multi-Award-Winning: A Wild Space–SUP on the Escalante River, Elevation Outdoors Magazine, June 2017. Bronze: North American Travel Journalists Association – Print Eco, Environmental or Special Purpose Travel category. Finalist: North American Travel Journalists Association – Print Sports, Recreation and Adventure category
  • Connecting with Tarahumara through Trail Running, Eagle Creek, August 2018. Silver: North American Travel Journalists Association – Online Sports, Recreation and Adventure category
  • Anglers help eliminate single-use plastic, SNEWS, August 2018. Honorable Mention: North American Travel Journalists Association – Trade Travel Article category
  • Yosemite of the Sea: Cala Gonone, Italy, The Discoverer, October 2019. Honorable Mention: North American Travel Journalists Association – Long-Form Narrative/Personal Essay category
  • Full Potential, Adventure Pro Magazine, December 2020. Gold: North American Travel Journalists Association – Lifestyle, Personality, and Profiles category 
  • A Climb for Greater Accessibility, Uncommon Path, January 2021. Gold: North American Travel Journalists Association – Accessible Travel category
  • Running to Heal, Trail Runner Magazine, May 2022. Honorable Mention: North American Travel Journalists Association – Cultural Travel category
  • Bikepacking Dinétah, Trails Magazine, February 2024. Silver: 2023-2024 SATW (Society of American Travel Writers) Foundation Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards Competition – Coverage of Diverse Communities category
  • 2025 North American Travel Journalist of the Year, 33rd Annual NATJA Awards Competition
  • Bikepacking Dinétah, Trails Magazine, February 2024. Gold: North American Travel Journalists Association – Historical Travel category
  • Bikepacking Dinétah, Trails Magazine, February 2024. Silver: North American Travel Journalists Association – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Travel category
  • Bikepacking Dinétah, Trails Magazine, February 2024. Bronze: North American Travel Journalists Association – Sports, Recreation and Adventure category

MOUNTAIN ULTRA TRAIL RACES

In 2016, mountain-ultra-trail running became a new endurance passion, and the sport’s community often inspires stories that I write.

2016 Leadville Trail Marathon // June 19 -– Leadville, CO – 6th (20-29) – 26 miles (6,164 vert)– (debut trail race) 5:49:06 — 13:20 pace

2016 Leadville Silver Rush 50 // July 10 — Leadville, CO – 10th (20-29) – 50 miles (7,842 vert)– (debut ultra; won Leadville 100-mile race entry via Dutch Henri Hill sprint) 11:45:39 – 14:07 pace

2016 Imogene Pass Run // Sep 10 – Ouray to Telluride, CO – 8th (25-29) – 17.1 mile (5,304 vert) — 3:30:32 – 12:41 pace

2016 North Face Endurance Challenge Marathon // Sep 24 — Park City, UT — 2nd Female Overall; 10th Finisher Overall — 26.2 miles (4K vert) — 4:49:16 — 10:55 pace

2016 Dead Horse Ultra 50-Miler // Nov 19 — Moab, UT — 7th (20-29); 50 miles (6K vert); SLICKROCK = BRUTAL — 11:18:11 — 13:33 pace

2017 Leadville Trail Marathon // June 17 — Leadville, CO — 10th (20-29) — 26 miles (6,164 vert)– 5:46:21 (PR) — 13:14 pace

2017 Kendall Mountain Run // July 22 — Silverton, CO — 15th (20-29)–12 miles (3,750 vert)–2:42:03 — 13:30 pace

2017 Leadville Trail 100 Run // Aug 19 — Leadville, CO — DNF (Paronychia; 64 miles; 11K vert)–100 miles (18,168 vert)

2018 Silverton Ultra Marathon 55K // Aug 11 — Silverton, CO — 4th (20-29)–35 miles (5,665 vert)–9:26:35–16:11 pace

2019 Camp 4 Cart to Cart // Sep 21 — Crested Butte, CO — 5th (20-29)-19.5 miles (4,000 vert)–3:59:30–12:16 pace

2019 Sage Burner 50K // Oct 26 — Gunnison, CO — 11th (20-29)- 31 miles (5,249 vert)–6:46:40 — 13:07 pace

2021 Grin & Bear It Trail Run // July 24 — Crested Butte, CO — 7th (30-39)- 15.5 miles (3,800 vert)–3:34:12 — 13:34 pace

STAND UP PADDLEBOARDING

In 2016, four friends and I became the first to stand-up paddleboard (self-supported) the 100-mile Escalante River, one of the most remote, wild rivers in the Lower 48.

CERTIFICATIONS

NOLS // Wilderness First Responder; Adult, and Child CPR & Airway Management; Epinephrine Auto-injector — September 2021, September 2023

Yale School of Public Health // Climate Change and Health Program Certificate — February-June 2021

AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) // AIARE 2 Recreational Course — January 2021

AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) // AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course — March 2020

AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) // AIARE 1 Recreational Course — February 2018; December 2009

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About Morgan

Morgan Tilton is an award-winning journalist. Adventure-loving wanderer. An explorer shaping outdoor, travel and news stories. Mountain ultra runner, snowboarder, peak bagger, music lover.

VIDEO

OUT HERE – Paddleboarding Utah's Escalante River from Dylan Brown on Vimeo.

Recent Posts

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